Talk is all over the Fetal Alcohol Support Groups at Yahoogroups about the positive effects of Choline on the brain. It is especially powerful on the developing brain. The researchers say that when taking during pregnancy it builds an excess memory capacity that seems to endure throughout life. As far as its effects on the older child and adult brain, they say it seems to have the most effect on those tagged as slow learners. This led researcher to question whether the slow learning was actually the result of a Choline deficiency, which the supplement corrected.... more

Many older children who enter the U.S. foster care system have sleep issues. Sleeping issues include trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, night terrors, and bedwetting to name a few. It shouldn’t be surprising that they have sleep issues considering the trauma they have experienced. Many children who have suffered sexual abuse were awakened in their beds from sleep to be raped by a trusted adult. Who knows how long sleep anxiety may last after that type of experience. For those who did not suffer that type of abuse you can still understand their unease.

They... more

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) usually affects infants and children under 10 years old. It is a viral illness that is considered moderately contagious and last for 7 to 10 days. Like most viral illnesses, there is not a specific cure, nor is there a vaccine to prevent infection. The number of cases has been growing in parts of Asia since March of 2008. In China, the number of cases seemed to peak in May at 176,000 confirmed cases of HFMD. In June, China reported less than 4,000 cases a day. Hong Kong had only report 100 cases as of July 2. Taiwan confirmed... more

Are you putting your adopted child at risk for developing asthma? A study of 3000 healthy children over a six-year period suggests that many parents are. Is your home is close to a busy road? Yes, then you have increased your child’s chance of developing asthma, hay fever, eczema, or other allergies by 50 percent. The study results indicate that those children living at least 1,000 meters away from a busy road were much healthier. What is the definition of a busy road? At least 10,000 vehicles a day drive on the road was the definition used by this study. Pollution has been linked... more

Does your adopted child have a big neck compared to peers? The University of Virginia recently completed a study indicating that these children are more likely to develop a sleep related breathing disorder than their peers are. These disorders affect breathing during sleep, the most common being obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A pediatric sleep center identified 215 children between 18 months and 18 years old for the study. The researchers who studied these children identified some common trends among those who had a sleep related breathing disorder. Apparently, neck... more

Many of us rushed off to the tanning salons when they began opening all over the country. Today, even the smallest towns seem to have at least one tanning salon making them easily accessible to teenagers. Many parents thought the tanning salons were safer than outdoor tanning and encouraged the use. After all, the time of exposure was limited, there was privacy, and teenagers could avoid a burn on vacation by getting a starter tan. If you have recently adopted a teenager, she may pressure you for a membership. She may think that a tan could help her fit in, make... more

A new study is indicating that more than half of mothers are declining their doctors’ offers and the government’s guidelines to vaccinate their young daughters, those under 13 years, with Gardasil. The vaccine known as Gardasil offers protection for women against the human papillomavirus (HPV.) The FDA approved the Gardasil vaccine in 2006 for girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. It is the primary cause of cervical cancer. The U.S. Center for Disease... more

Many parts of the body are affected by Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Infants affected with this syndrome are considerably larger than normal. Technically, it is referred to as macrosomia. Beckwith-Wiedemann is classified as an overgrowth syndrome. Children who are diagnosed with this syndrome continue to grow and gain weight at an unusual rate during childhood. By the time these children reach the age of eight years, their growth begins to slow down. As they reach adulthood, their height should be comparable... more

Should you send for a mail order DNA kit to test your adopted child’s DNA? Will this test help you know if your adopted child is predisposed to a genetic condition? If your child came to you through international adoption or another method without a medical history, you may be tempted. The mail order prices even seem affordable and you can order them on the Internet making DNA testing more tempting. Each time you visit a new doctor, dentist, optometrist, or specialist you have to fill out a medical history for your child. If your child has asthma symptoms, symptoms... more

Living here in rural America I was a bit surprised to learn that currently, about 18,000 U.S. schools have health centers inside their walls. These health centers provide confidential physical and mental health services to students who want them in junior high and high schools. Most of these clinics are operated by either a local hospital, health department, or other community health center. A study was recently conducted on the centers that currently... more